Posts Tagged ‘Family history’

In my last post I stated that I was going to search out information about my grandmother and great grandmother because I was running out of options/data regarding my grandfather but, at that time, I didn’t know where or how to start because I didn’t have much information about either of them.

However, thanks to the Polish Ancestry Researcher, Lucjan Cichocki, and the municipal clerk in Lutowiska, Poland I may have received the church record of my grandparents marriage.

marriage record

There are a few inconsistencies that I need to resolve and explain.  But if this is the true record of my grandparents marriage then it helps in explaining other data I received.  One of those was about my grandmother’s maiden name.  Some time ago when I was first starting my family research and while my father was still alive, I starting asking him the basic questions; i.e. what was your mother’s maiden name, what was your father’s name, etc.  It was this time that my father told me that he never knew his father because he passed away when he was a baby.  I acquired a copy of my grandfather’s death record confirming that he died when my father was just a baby, less than a year old.  The death  record listed my great grandparents as Basilius and Anna Iwaniw.  Well, that didn’t help me with my great grandmother’s maiden name.  I already knew that my great grandfather was named Wasyl (Basilius) and my great grandmother’s name was Anna from my father, but I didn’t know my great grandmother’s maiden name.  According to the marriage record my great grandmother’s maiden name was Stefanow

Now, where did the Shubish come from?  If you look at the record at the information regarding Matrona’s mother you’ll notice one of the surnames referenced is Skubycz.  Could this be where my father got the surname from?  Lucjan was kind enough to send me his translation of the information on the marriage record.

Here’s the translation:
no. 15
date 7/22/1902 (this is a Greek Catholic church record, there was no civil registration in the Austrian-controlled part of Poland back then)
house no. 26
the groom: Michael Iwanow, single, a son of Basilius Iwanow and Anna nee Stefanow, farmers in Lutowiska, a Greek Catholic aged 25
the bride: Matrona Iwanow, single Greek Catholic woman aged 19, a daughter of Maria Smolij [who was] a daughter of Gregorius [and this Maria Smolij was] 1st married [to a man named] Skubycz [and then] 2nd married [to a man named] Iwanow, [Matrona and/or her mother was] from Michniowiec [I am not 100% positive about the place name]
witnesses: Michael Iwanow, Joannes Iwanow, farmers of Lutowiska
The translation/record raises more questions.  When it comes to the bride’s lineage it does seem a bit confusing.  Trying to put things together logically, I would presume that Matrona’s parents were Gregory and Maria Smolij.  From here things seem to get a bit confusing.  The narrative isn’t very clear.  But my logic would dictate that Maria was married in the following chronological order:
  1. First married to Gregory Smolij
  2. Then married a man named Skubycz
  3. Finally married to a man named Iwanow.

But what was Maria Iwanow’s maiden name?  The record doesn’t say.  I could leave things as is because Matrona’s family line is not a surname that I am trying to research.  Its purpose is to help me connect to others that are researching their family history that may be connected to mine.  I’ve written to Lucjan for further clarification and explanation of the information in the record.

I had already updated about locating my grandfather’s death record and confirming his date of death and the fact that he passed away while my father was an infant. What that research uncovered was that records from my father’s village are extremely limited, both church and civil records.

My Great Grandmother

The church death record listed my great grandfather’s name as Wasyl (Basilius, in Latin) and my great grandmother’s name as Anna.  However, I know my great grandfather’s surname was Iwaniw as was my great grandmother’s married surname.  But I don’t know what her birth name was. It’s not referenced on the death record.  So, now I have to determine the best method to find my great grandmother’s birth name and details.  Without actual records I’ll have to estimate dates and events and search from there.  More or less trial and error.  Were they married in Lutowiska?  Or did they move from another location?  If I can find their marriage record it will give a wealth of information.

My Grandmother

My grandmother’s name that I have is Matrona Smolii/Smoliw.  There are 2 different spellings because my father used both spelling on different documents.  His displace person registration record lists his mother’s name as Matrona Smolii.  He lists her name as Matrona Smoliw on his SS-5 (Social Security application) and this spelling is used on his death certificate.  I’m also search the different genealogy web sites (Ancestry, Family Search, and My Heritage) for a Matrona Smolii/Smoliw and have cone up empty.  To me this means that there is no one else researching the Smolii/Smoliw family line.

So, to this end I’m going to be searching out the marriage record/certificate for my grandparents.  This should give me information of my grandmother and, hopefully, both of my great grandparents.  I was also thinking about finding my grandfather’s birth record/certificate but this would only give me information pertaining to him and I believe the records are limited in date range.  But this will be alternative research path.

If you have Eastern European roots and want to learn more about your family history, you are in luck! While researching family history can be complex and time-consuming, the internet offers a wealth of resources to help you uncover your Eastern European ancestor’s stories. In this article, we will look at some of the available tools for researching family history in Eastern Europe.

1. Genealogy Databases
A genealogy database is a software package designed to store, retrieve, and manage family history data. These databases provide a wealth of information, including birth, death, marriage records, census data, military records, and more. Some popular genealogy databases include Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, MyHeritage, and Findmypast. These databases contain extensive information from Eastern Europe.

2. National Archives and Libraries
Many countries in Eastern Europe have national archives and libraries that contain historical records and documents. These archives and libraries are great places to find information about your ancestors, including census data, immigration records, naturalization records, and church records. Some popular archives and libraries to check out are the National Archives of Hungary, the National Archives of Poland, and the National Archives of Romania.

3. Maps and Gazetteers
Maps and gazetteers are valuable tools for researching family history in Eastern Europe. They can provide a snapshot of what life was like in a particular area and help you locate ancestral villages. Some popular online resources for maps and gazetteers include Geogen, Genealogy Maps, and JewishGen.

4. Social Media
Social media platforms can be helpful for connecting with family members and distant relatives. Facebook groups and genealogy discussion forums are great places to ask for advice, share your research, and find others with common research interests.

5. DNA Testing
DNA testing is a powerful tool that can help you uncover genetic matches and find new cousins. It can also help you trace your ancestry and ethnicity. Some popular DNA testing companies include AncestryDNA, 23andMe, and MyHeritage. Although, i still feel there are unresolved issues with the current technology and process. I don’t recommend but include it here for completeness.

In conclusion, researching family history in Eastern Europe can be challenging, but with the help of online resources, you can uncover hidden gems about your ancestors. Genealogy databases, national archives and libraries, maps and gazetteers, social media, and DNA testing are just some of the available tools for exploring your Eastern European roots. Happy researching!

From October 13, 2019

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As I was browsing a few of the genealogical groups on Facebook I came across a posting showing a picture of a church. The church looked familiar like I’ve seen the picture previously. I did. My father had a photograph of this church and he had commissioned a painting to be made from it.

At the time I didn’t know that name of the church just that my father said that it was the church from the village that he grew up in, Lutowiska. According to the information I now have is that the name of the church is Church of Archangel Michael in Lutowiska. The information on this church is in Polish (you’ll have to enable Google translator to read the details).

Church of Archangel Michael in Lutowiska

Unfortunately, according to the information about this church it no longer exists. In 1979, the church was handed over to the local Latin parish, which in May 1980 demolished the church, and used wood for further use in the construction of the church in Dwernik.

Now I’ve got a few more gaps in my father life filled in and more research material to investigate. From the documents that I had previously received I know that my father was a Greek Catholic. I didn’t know which parish records I had to chase down. Having stumbled onto this bit of information has helped in filling that gap. What I need to find out now is where are the records from this church and do they even still exist? If anyone has any information on this church or its records I’d appreciate hearing from you. You can contact me through this site or via Facebook Messenger.

My old genealogy blog had to be shut down.  The previous web host company decided to increase their quarterly hosting fee by almost 500%.  From $23 USD every 3 months to $114 USD every 3 months.  They weren’t worth it.  So, I found a new web hosting company to host my genealogy blog.  

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to move the old articles to this new blog.  Don’t despair.  You can still access the old articles here